It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
